best digital scanner

[pjwh12]

I live in southwestern on can someone recommend the best digital scanner to buy ?
Thanks

 

[pathalogical]

You will get varying opinions on which is the best. Do you have scanners already or will this be your first ? Uniden 396/996, GRE 500/600 and Radio Shack 106/197 are your choices, and are about $500 USD. All are great radios, but each has features the other does not. Software can be used to make programing much easier. Some include accessories and some do not. Best thing to do is read the various forums and see what others have said. There are many users that have more than one brand of radios and they can offer the best comparisons.

 

[ONTScan]

Uniden BCD396T

Everyone will have their own views but here is why I finally decided on the BCD396T

Its digital, has APCO\P25 capabilites.
Is made by Uniden which is a trusted name and very helpful if you run into a snag.
The close call feature is great if you are at an event and want to listen into Comm. traffic.
Lots of space-I have numerous agencies programmed into mine- a BUNCH of fleetnet towers and still space to spare.
Is easily programmed with the new freescan software. The newest update works much better than the older version.

 

[multisync]

GRE 500. Better digital decoding.

 

[pjwh12]

Thanks for the great advice so far guys
I have not had the opportunity to purchase
a new scanner for many years still using an
old analog unit and I look forward to using
the wisdom and experience this forum has
to offer again thanks for the help

 

[torontokris]

each has positives and negatives

the 396XT 996XT and GRE PSR-500 PSR-600 are the choices to go with.

Most beginners would prefer the 396XT lineup.. small size (almost half the size of the GRE handheld), great features, 25,000 available channels, easier to learn if you owned other Uniden DMA scanners.

On the other hand the GRE's have great digital decode, true multi-site capabilities (scan strongest or all towers), V folders (for storing other areas), object oriented programming.


If your looking for a great but cheaper scanner then the 396T, or Pro-96 will do (both dont have all the features of the new ones) but will save you cash).

 

[gary123]

If its mobile the 996t or xt would be a great choice. I use both professionally.

 

[unlisted]

I've pesonally owned the following:

Uniden 396t and Radio Shack 106. I still own the Pro 106. I prefer it for the digital decode (sounds just like a motorola radio, I swear (heh). The ONLY drawback is- the size.

I would like to try out a 396xt soon.. but I do prefer my 106. I don't like where the speaker is placed on the pro 106, so I would probably recommend the GRE version.

 

[slicerwizard]

Everyone will have their own views but here is why I finally decided on the BCD396T

Its digital, has APCO\P25 capabilites.

Which are inferior to GRE.

Is made by Uniden which is a trusted name

And GRE isn't? Ask any Pro-200x owner...

The close call feature is great if you are at an event and want to listen into Comm. traffic.

GRE Spectrum Sweeper comes to mind.

Lots of space-I have numerous agencies programmed into mine- a BUNCH of fleetnet towers and still space to spare.

Ah, SmartZone systems. GREs handle those fairly well I hear. The 396T? It has no understanding whatsoever of multi-site systems.

How's Uniden's patch handling? Nonexistent? GRE on the other hand...

What about radio IDs? Getting any radio IDs on your 396T?


Just sayin' your reasons don't really point at a 396T.

 

[unlisted]

I know what we all need.... A GRE scanner the size of a Uniden 396(xx) - it would "kill" uniden 396 sales!!!

 

[SuperTex]

I'm not getting into the faction war over which is better - Uniden or GRE...

I have both, or rather all three. I have the 600, the 996xt and the 996t.

If I was buying only one unit today, it would be the 996xt. But at the same time I wouldn't give up my 600's for anything either... People shy away from GRE because of the goofy programming which takes a little patience. The 996xt is a sweeeeet unit and a marked improvement over the 996t. The xt does a wicked job on Fleetnet if that what you're primarily listening to.

If you can manage the price of admission either the GRE 500/600 or the Uniden 396xt/996xt are excellent choices.

 

[Northerner71]

I love my gre 500. It is truely an amazing scanner and set up is a bit of a learning curve but with some playing around it can be set up to be a perfect scanner. Gre also gives regular updates and not just patches, a lot of the time it is new features. Uniden may be a great scanner ( I have never owned one) but from what I have read Gre will be able to follow newer tech. more easily. Uniden always uses to same methodology for their scanners but Gre changed it up which forces us to advance with Tech. not a bad thing in my books.

 

[SuperTex]

I know what we all need.... A GRE scanner the size of a Uniden 396(xx) - it would "kill" uniden 396 sales!!!

The 600 is smaller than the 996xt... so it appears the score is 1-1

 

[se]

Hi.

In my honest, humble opinion the Uniden BCD996XT is the best scanner to have nowadays. I use mine as a base scanner, and I have a Watson WSM-1900 Mini Magnet Mount Antenna connected to it and for the most part this combination works great. Im a skeptic but I was pleasantly surprised.

Sheldon.

 

[unlisted]

I guess someone should of asked this earlier, do you want a portable scanner, or a mobile one? (portable = handheld, mobile = Home/vehicle)

 

[69stiles]

I've had them all. I was in need of another digital handheld & chose the gre psr-500 this time primarily for the usb data cable & the reasonably priced software from Starrsoft. I do love the tone-out & record-out features of the newer Unidens though. Maybe someday they'll read this thread & build the perfect scanner. Does Uniden know serial ports don't exist anymore?

 

[radioskip1]

I have both the 396 and the 106. Using the same rubber duck antenna the 106 pulls in Buffalo, NY NOAA weather radio @ 162.550. The 396 doesn't. So does that mean it's a hotter receiver? But the 106 looks like it might break into a thousand pieces if you every dropped it. My 396 has been dropped more than once and survived. And Uniden BCD-369T portable seems to operate longer on just 3 AA cells then the Radio Shack Pro-106 which uses 4 AA batteries. Did I mention that even though the 396 is a lot smaller, the control buttons are easier to locate and operate. The 106 buttons seemed to be all jammed together.

 

[unlisted]

Ithe 106 looks like it might break into a thousand pieces if you every dropped it

I thought the same until I dropped mine- a few times.. not short distances either. Didn't even reset, just kept on yacking. (was RX'ing most every time I dropped the bugger)

 

[judas12]

296d....great !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1